by Elia Bizzarri | Jul 29, 2026 | Finishing, How-To | 8 Comments
I've been working on a series of chair orders for the last month or two. It's always a good time in the shop, especially when I have sets of chairs to work on as I do now. I love getting into a rhythm, assembling a set of undercarriages, then the...
by Elia Bizzarri | Feb 12, 2026 | Craft Films, No-Glue joints, Samuel Wing Book Project | 21 Comments
"Your book is next." These welcome words greeted me a few days ago as I opened my email. Megan Fitzpatrick is my editor, Lost Art Press is my publisher, and my book may see the light of day sometime soon. Sure, there's still lots of editing and formatting for Megan to...
by Elia Bizzarri | Oct 27, 2025 | Craft Films, No-Glue joints, Rakes and Hay Forks | 5 Comments
I've been making wooden hay rakes today, which has given me the opportunity to try some new techniques. Here is a short video about making the rake tines using an old method that's new to me. (Is this is my first foray into vlogging?): You can watch the Romanian...
by Elia Bizzarri | Oct 14, 2024 | Craft Films, No-Glue joints, Samuel Wing Book Project | 13 Comments
I have finished writing my book about Samuel Wing. Sure, there's still editing to be done, but that never ends. The Lost Art Press folks will be here in February to photograph the book and we'll go from there. Jeff Lefkowitz just sent me the proofs...
by Elia Bizzarri | Dec 11, 2022 | Antique Chairs, Finishing | 14 Comments
I got some photos back from my photographer of a reproduction chair I made for a collector in Kentucky, who owns the original of this chair. It is the only signed Windsor chair from KY known to exist, made near Lexington KY between about 1810 and 1830. The old chair...
by Elia Bizzarri | Oct 8, 2022 | Spoon Bits | 0 Comments
I got a bunch of questions about using spoon bits. Here's the answers to a few of them. How do you get the spoon bit to start where you want it? My favorite answer is to adjust your expectations. But there are some tips that will give you more...
by Elia Bizzarri | Nov 16, 2020 | Antique Chairs, Chair Stories | 3 Comments
by Elia Bizzarri | Nov 6, 2020 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies, How-To | 3 Comments
Bob Simmons put together this spreadsheet of Green Woodworking books. Feel free to add your favorite books and edit however you see fit - this is truly a communal book list, by you for you. Happy reading! GreenBook
by Elia Bizzarri | Sep 2, 2020 | Chairmaking Tools and Supplies, How-To | 7 Comments
After seeing Bob Simmons space-saving shaving horse ideas, Jason Gallagher send me photos of this modified Tim Manney horse that Jason made with his buddy Tommy. With a few wedged joints, it knocks down nicely into a small bundle of parts. In his...
by Elia Bizzarri | Apr 23, 2020 | Spoon Bits | 0 Comments
Last summer Gramercy sent me some of their new spoon bits to review here on the blog. I've never gotten free stuff from a company before, but I guess there's a first for everything. Don't worry, I'm still as opinionated as ever. Anyway, the next thing I...
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